<p>Hello all,
I'm a rising senior looking to be an engineer. I'm having a scheduling problem for next year. I'm signed up for AP Physics C next year, but it's the same period as band one semester. I have to take physics because of my major, plus I'm really excited to take it, but I can't imagine a semester without band. My school is set up with Smith College so we can take classes there for free. It looks like I could probably take Physics there. The Physics I class seems similar to AP Physics C: Mechanics (it's calculus based), and the Physics II (if it fits into my schedule 2nd semester... won't know ahead of time) seems like E+M plus some B material. If I did this, I would take the classes and take both C exams and the late B exam, self studying to fit in the gaps. My question is, how would elite colleges view it, assuming I would do well in either one? Would the switch really affect how they look at my transcript much either way? Anything else I should consider?
Thanks!</p>
<p>Why won’t you talk to the band director and ask if you can take that class but still be in band, like practice with them after school. That’s what people do at my school.</p>
<p>If you’re getting a grade for the college work, what’s the point of taking a meaningless AP exam.</p>
<p>Check the colleges you are applying to as to their AP credit policy for physics and how transferable the Smith physics courses would be.</p>
<p>Actually, that’s fine. You can take the two classes at the college, and then take the two AP Physics C tests and you will get credit in college for Physics I and II from the AP tests (although I’m not sure that you would need Physics B for engineering because all physics for engineering is calculus-based). And I think that taking the courses at Smith College will definitely be more challenging than your school’s AP Physics C course. I took Physics I (Mechanics) at Stevens Institute of Technology and I am taking the AP Physics C (Mechanics and E&M) tests today (self-studied E&M myself from scratch). Oh yeah, and I also had a scheduling conflict with band, so that’s why I took physics at Stevens and now I’m taking the AP C tests :)</p>